“Writing is the only thing that when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.”

~ Gloria Steinem ~

“Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.”

~ Stephen King~

Let me tell you a story. I had this amazing idea for a series of stories when I was in my pre-teens. I started writing down notes about the characters about their lives. I even drew sketches of them I had taken some (a lot) of art classes and was pretty good. Then I started writing the book. I would write a few pages then re-read it. I would start editing it and it never stop from there. I was a persist young writer so I did manage to get to chapter two but I kept editing as I wrote I must have wrote and rewrote that first and second chapter a billion times. There were times when I scrapped it and started over. Then in my twenties after taking a writer workshop, drawing up illustrations, mind mapping my novel several times. I thought what I need is to write some short stories and get them published. These will help when I write my query letters I needed something quick and something that would be easy … a walk in the park so I thought. Romance seemed easy. There were tons of Romance novels and short stories at the check outs on a daily bases. Anyone can do that! Some fluffy feel good story anyone could do that with their eyes closed. I had laughed and thought they are all the same … girl meets guy … girl kisses guy … they live happily ever after the end. After writing several short romance stories and submitting them to the numerous magazines I received a few rejection letters but one rejection letter said maybe this wasn’t the genre for me but I had talent. I was indignant of course I had talent there was never any question about that, I had thought. After a few more failed attempts I thought who needs to write that slop anyways. I put them in a box and walked away from Romance. A couple years later I was a little older and a little wiser. I found my box and a read some of my work. I was condescending, my thoughts of the genre radiated in words. I threw the box out. How you feel about a subject gets worked into the words of that subject. If you think romance is some fluffy two-dimensional lacking substance genre it’s going to show that in your words. There are plenty of brilliant romance novelists out there but I wasn’t one of them. No romance was not for me, perhaps when I was older after I had a few more lovers would I be better equipped to write about that if I so chose to do so.

I went back to writing my novel … writing, editing and rewriting those first few chapters. It wasn’t until I had given birth to my youngest son that I realized my error. A first draft isn’t supposed to be perfect it’s just supposed to be what it is the first draft! The idea, the story, the characters! Once I stopped editing and re-writing I flew through writing my first novel.

Once you finish writing that last word in the first draft there is this amazing feeling of accomplishment! Editing is like visiting with an old friend and should only be done once the story has been written. That my friends, was my mistake but they really aren’t mistakes in life they are lessons. As Dave Mornix of DAM Consulting says “You can’t get it wrong.” Lessons on perfecting your craft and on life which may be perfecting your craft!

Now I must return to my work … I’m currently working on a project with a team of amazing and talented professionals who freelance! You can find out more on the website: The Enigmatic Monster Project

Back to my computer and my writing.

I know you have it in you! Write … Write … Write … Read … Read … Read and then Write some more! Only then get your editing cap on when the first draft is completed!

Best Wishes Always,

R. J. Davies Mornix

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

~ Richard Bach ~

“I write for the same reason I breathe … because if I didn’t, I would die.”

~ Isaac Asimov ~

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”